Certificate and record holder



Jan. 31, 1933. THOMPSON 1,395,903

CERTIFICATE AND RECORD HOLDER Filed July 29 1932 Inventor Patented Jan. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EBSKINE D. THOMPSON, OF BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CERTIFICATE AND RECORD HOLDER Application filed July 29, 1932. Serial No. 625,955.

This invention relates to record and certificate holders and particularly those which may be attached to the steering post of an automobile to hold the license registration certificate. These are commonly made of flexible fabric or similar material and are provided with sight openings through which the certificate or parts thereof may be observed.

Heretofore holders of this type have been so made that in order to remove or replace the certificate or other record sheets contained therein, it has been necessary to completely remove the holder from the steering post or column. In the case of certain systems of keeping lubrication records that have recently been devised, which systems involve the use of a number of record cards and sheets on which entries or additions may be made at regular intervals, it is advantageous to have the body of the holder normally attached to its support and, at the same time, have the record holding and retaining means readily accessible and available for inspection, entry and replacement of the records.

It is an object of this invention to provide a certificate and record holder which may be allowed to remain in place on its support while changing or adding record sheets or other data.

A further object is to provide a holder in which a plurality of records of different nature may be included and retained in their separate and respective positions during normal operation.

Another object is to provide a holder which is simple and economical to fabricate and which is convenient in use.

Various other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, which form a part of this specification and which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a developed view of the inside or record containing side of the holder with record and certificate sheets in place.

Figure 2 represents a developed view of the outside of the holder.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the holder in place on a steering post, and with its record containing flap partly open for the insertion of records.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 generally represents a single strip of flexible material such as imitation leather or the like. This strip may be narrowed at one end to form a tab 11, which is adapted to be wrapped around a steering column 12 or similar cylindrical structure on an automobile. The tab portion 11 is provided in this case with a hook fastener 13, and two eyelets 14, through which latter an elastic cord 15 may be passed, thus forming a flexible loop which may be engaged in the hook fastener 13. This construction allows the tab to be secured around the steering post, supporting the holder 10 and permitting the main portion or flap 16 to remain free.

The main or flap portion 16 may be provided at one end with one or more snap fastener studs 17 as shown. At its outer end it may be fitted with a snap fastener eye 18. This arrangement allows the flap 16, together with any enclosures, to be wrapped around the previously secured tab 11 and fastened on whichever stud is convenient, depending on the diameter of the steering post and the relative location of fastener studs 17 Both the fastening means shown are merely illustrative, and there are many other forms which could be substituted therefor.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be noted that the flap 16 is provided with a plurality of sight openings or windows 19 and 20. lVindow 19 is generally adapted to display the registration license certificate of the motor vehicle. Windows 20 are adapted to display supplementary data, such as mileage figures at which certain lubrication or other servicing of the vehicle is to be performed.

Referring again to Figure 1, which shows the inside of the holder in its developed or unfolded position, it will be seen that window 19 is covered by a sheet 21 of celluloid or a similar flexible transparent material. This may be firmly cemented or otherwise fastened so as to lie fiat all around its outer edge. A similar piece 22 of celluloid or the like is fastened over windows 20, and is preferably arranged with one edge 23 overlapping the edge of license certificate 24. This edge is not cemented or otherwise fastened beyond the line 27 and serves to maintain the license certificate 24 in place behind window 21. It is obvious that the same result could be obtained by the use of a narrow strip of fabric or the like, stitchedto sheet 10 along line 27 and having its loose edge extending toward window 21. A similar modification could be made by the use of a single sheet of celluloid covering all the windows, and cut out to form one or more tabs or flaps which would not be cemented down but would extend from the line 27 upwardly and outwardly toward window 21, thus forming an abutment which would prevent certificate 24 from sliding from its position behind window 21 toward windows 20.

An L shaped strip 25 of stiff fabric or the like is attached to flap 16, as by stitching along the outer end and one edge as shown at 28. This forms a skeleton pocket or envelope in which the supplementary data or record sheets or cards 26, as well as the lower edge of' certificate card 24 are retained. Cards 26 overlie the windows 20 and the license certificate 24.

The data on these cards may be of any desired nature, such as a table or chart of lubrication points, with spaces for check marks to show that they have been serviced. Speedometer readings may be written or printed at the time of such servicing in spaces on the cards which will register or be aligned with windows 20, which readings will indicate to the observer the time when such servicing should be repeated. These data sheets may be left in the holder and the last one added at the bottom or immediately in front of the windows 20. Thus a permanent record of such lubrication or other servicing during the life of the vehicle will be accumulated in the holder. This may be of value to a prospective purchaser or dealer to whom the car may later be sold as a record of the care which the vehicle received.

From the drawing and the description above, it will be seen that the tab 11 of the holder may be permanently, although removably, fastened around the steering post or other suitable support on an automobile, thus leaving the flap portion 16 free to insert or remove license certificate cards, data sheets, and the like.

When all such cards are in place in their respective envelopes and are registered with their proper sight openings, the flap 16 may be wrapped around the tab 11 and the steering post and fastened by snapping the fast'ene'r eye 18 over whichever stud 17 is most convenient. With the holder thus attached, the certificate 24 will be visible through window 21 and the speedometer readings or other data will be visible through windows 20. Furthermore, to replace or renew any of the contents of the holder, it is not necessary to completely remove the holder from its support, but only to unbutton the flap 16, whereupon all of the contents are immediately accessible.

In using the device it is contemplated that the record sheets or cards 26 will be more or less frequently removed and inserted as when periodic services are performed, whereas license certificate 24 would only be removed occassionally as for instance once a year when a new license certificate is to be inserted. By the arrangement shown it will be apparent that the removal and insertion of record sheets or cards 26 may be effected without disturbing license certificate 24 in its more or less permanent position.

Itwill be apparent that various modifications and changes could be made in this arrangement without departing from the essential features of the invention which embrace all changes, variations, and substitutions coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A certificate holder for motor vehicles, comprising a flexible sheet having an extended portion adapted to be wrapped about a steering post, fastening means for retaining said extended portion in wrapped position, said flexible sheet provided with sight openings," transparent material over said openings, a pocket for retaining records adjacent certain of said openings, a separate pocket for retaining records adjacent other of said openings and means for securing said sheet about said steering post with said records exposed through said openings.

2. A certificate holder for motor vehicles, comprising a flexible sheet having an extended portion adapted to be wrapped about a steering post, fastening means for retaining said extended portion in wrapped position, said flexible sheet provided with sight openings, transparent material over said openings, a pocket for retaining records adjacent certain of said openings and means for securing said sheet about said steering post with said records'exposed through said openm s.

A certificate holder for motor vehicles, comprising a sheet of flexible material with an extended portion adapted to be wrapped about a steering post and provided with fastening means therefor, the remainder of said sheet forming a flap provided with a plurality of openings, a transparent sheet over said openings, means associated with said transparent sheet adapted to receive and retain a certificate, a strip of flexible material secured to said first named sheet forming retaining means for record cards, and separate fastening means whereby the flap receiving said record cards may be secured around said steering post over said first named extended portion.

4. A certificate holder for motor vehicles, comprising a sheet of flexible material, one portion of which is provided with means for fastening said portion about a steering post, the remainder of said sheet forming a flap provided with a plurality of openings, transparent sheets over said openings, separate record containing means attached to one side of said flap so that said records are respectively visible through said openings, and separate fastening means whereby the flap en- ,closing said records may be secured around said steering post over said first named portion.

5. A certificate holder for motor vehicles comprising a sheet of flexible material, one portion of which is provided with means for fastening said portion on a steering post, the remaining portion of said sheet being provided with a plurality of transparent windows adapted to display records, retaining means for said records, and separate means whereby the remaining portion of said sheet may be fastened over said first named portion and around said steering post.

6. In a certificate holder for a motor vehicle, a sheet of flexible material, one end portion of which is provided with means independent of the other end portion for fastening said first end portion on a steering post, the remaining portion of said sheet rovided with means for retaining and disp aying a record card, and fastening means whereby said second named portion of said sheet may be fastened over said first named portion and around said steering post.

Signed at San Francisco, California, this 22nd day of July, 1932.

ERSKINE D. THOMPSON. 

